Remember–War of the Son: on episode 9~10

There are at least three major developments occurring in the show’s fifth week: two regarding our characters and one regarding the retrial, out of which one i appreciated, one i more or less saw coming, and one i still can’t wrap my head around. Even though the outcome(s) or where they lead us to may not be to my liking, i’m happy there’s any progress at all. Because moving forward, toward yet a darker path notwithstanding, is still better than running in circles…right?

If there’s one thing that defines the show, it’s the notion that those who have little are powerless and thus the prey of the rich, but in the end, those who have more to lose shall lose to those with nothing to lose. We all know in which category Gyu-man and Jin-woo belong to although i’m never convinced that the latter has nothing else to lose to do whatever it takes to crush the former; Jin-woo will go all the way for sure, but there is still Dad, his weak spot and tether, who is out of his reach as a son and/or an attorney. Gyu-man can easily use Dad against Jin-woo.

In that case, Jin-woo against the world (ruled by Gyu-man) is a more fitting description of Remember?

[What’s up with the side-eye, Secretary Ahn?]

It’s an uphill battle Jin-woo’s in that baby-step progress and little triumphs feel extra uplifting, even though Gyu-man will ensure those moments won’t last long. But first things first: Jin-woo fell into Gyu-man’s trap and i couldn’t be happier to see him out of the hook pretty quickly and then proceed with the retrial — is it that easy to reject an appeal request then overrule the decision and grant it? I get his desire to acquit Dad, but strong will alone won’t suffice.

It’s worrying that Jin-woo lacks indisputable evidences and easily loses his witnesses. How are you going to win if you’re this underprepared, dude? I’m also not sure if he plans to liberate Dad first before proceeding to convict the perpetrator since he has acquired zero leads against Gyu-man. All he did was blackmailing incriminating witnesses to admit to perjury re-testify. Without new evidences, i doubted that would be convincing enough. Admittedly, i didn’t expect Jin-woo to have it easy or come out victorious, though not in this fashion. As if having Gyu-man’s prosecutor and judge of choice presiding the case and witnesses telling half-truths aren’t enough, they get Jin-woo in the trap again. Argh, i knew having everyone suddenly on our hero’s side is too good to be true!

[In hindsight, this preview scene never made it to the episode itself…]

Equally worrying is Dad’s deteriorating condition followed by his returning memories. I don’t know how accurate Show’s depiction of Alzheimer’s is, but the logic just doesn’t add up. He remembers Gyu-man’s visit but oddly not Jin-woo, even though he’s shown to have some sort of an epiphany and write him a letter afterward, and then many scenes later he says he’s remembering things now. Furthermore, despite knowing that Dad is denied proper medical treatment (most likely on Gyu-man’s order), Jin-woo confronts the prison doctor only in episode 9, after Dad is having acute stomachache.

It’s obviously negligence — can’t anybody do something about it??

This happening affirms how rotten the world of Remember is. How come nobody has pity or empathy for Dad, or conscience in general? Seems that only Jin-woo and Co., Dong-ho, the handsome judge, and possibly Yeo-kyung have it, although the last name has yet to do anything in this show… Am i overestimating her?

Just in case our hero isn’t trampled on enough, as if to ensure that his suffering/devastation is on the highest level possible, Show decides to deliver the final blow toward the end of episode 10 by writing Dad off. Who in the world saw that coming? I certainly didn’t. There i was, worrying that In-ah would lose her dad one day not only because great parents don’t live a long life in dramaland — the bad ones do — but also because i never thought Jin-woo would lose his. There i was, thinking Remember would deliver a different ending from Miracle in Cell No.7…

This turn of events negates the integral premise of the show, which is of Jin-woo’s struggles to prove Dad’s innocence as he’s racing against time and his own failing memory, doesn’t it? Granted, it doesn’t say Dad would still be alive at the end of the day, still what’s the point if he’s gone?? I could accept his worsening condition, or the lost appeal, or even the possibility of expedited execution if they could raise the stakes, heighten the tension, or simply add more drama, but NOT this. But what’s done is done.

I felt like the story has come full circle for Jin-woo, with him returning to the old house he swore not to step into unless he’s back with Dad, slumped to the floor crying his heart out on a more crestfallen note since Dad is gone forever. Now Jin-woo has hit rock bottom i can only foresee a darker and dirtier path ahead. I will know if i like the changed direction (from a son seeking justice to a son seeking revenge) after checking the next episode or two though.

I’m curious to know how Dong-ho would react to this development though. He has just made his mind up and finally took sides, albeit only after learning the woes his family inflicted on Jin-woo’s*, only to be greeted by Joo-il’s self-servingness and Jae-hyuk’s tragic end, which he was partly responsible for. He has also failed to fulfill his promise to help Dad in court, twice, that unless he explains the situations out and shows his support through actions, i doubt Jin-woo will trust him ever again. Come on, he’s been serving Gyu-man for four years i can’t believe he hasn’t done anything to unmask him. But maybe he has to wrestle himself free from Joo-il’s grasp first?

*) It was a pretty big albeit convenient reveal, though it made less of an impact because Park Sung-woong didn’t handle emotional scenes well. Alas.

If anything, i hope Dad’s demise puts a stop to a stream of tears and anguished expressions on our hero’s face. While i dare not expect less suffering since Jin-woo still needs to battle his own Alzheimer’s (if you’re aware of having it, can’t you get it treated?), should the rest of the series be less painful to watch, i think i can settle for that.